Powerpuff: Infinite Destinies
by Parsec
Summary: [Sequel series to 'Powerpuff: Altered Destiny'] The professor and the girls continue their visits and studies of parallel universes... [CHAPTER 2 is now up]
1. Prologue

[IMPORTANT NOTE:  This is a sequel series to one of my other fanfics, "Altered Destiny".  It helps if you've read it, but in case you haven't, this opening prologue is a summary of the events of A.D.]

Powerpuff: Infinite Destinies By:  Mark J. Hadley 

*          *            *

PROLOGUE:  "The HCMD Project" 

_Excerpt from the journal of Professor Utonium:_

            What follows here are the blueprints and schematics for constructing what is probably my greatest achievement in science, aside from the creation of the Powerpuff Girls.  It is called the Hyper Conduit Manifestation Device, or HCMD as I commonly abbreviated it.  It is a small, hand-held device, almost like a remote control, except set with a projection device on the end, much like a radar dish.  It is such a small, insignificant-looking device, which belies its true abilities and enormous potential.

            For you see, the device has the capability of breeching dimensional space, creating a temporary doorway between parallel universes, and allowing travel between them.  All that's needed is a set of universal coordinates as it relates to other dimensions.  The coordinates of our own universe turn out to be amazingly simple to calculate, but despite this, it is nearly impossible to determine by the numbers alone what any other dimension will yield.

            I discovered this in my very first excursion with the HCMD.  Due to the enormous power requirements, the device needed a twenty-four hour recharge period before I could return to my own world.  I decided to take this time to explore the world I was on, only to find that the alternate version of Townsville I had arrived in was in disarray.  The reason became clear after some investigation: my own girls, in this dimension, were cruel and ruthless, seeking to punish even the smallest crimes by bringing down their wrath.

            Of course, I could hardly blame them, for I learned the major difference in this universe…the 'focal point' of change, if you will, that made it significantly different from ours.  The alt-girls' Professor Utonium had been killed, and it was more than they could bear.  They wouldn't listen to anyone afterwards; they did things their own way from that point on.  When they saw me, however…even after I had explained that I was from a parallel universe, they still decided to take my advice, and return things back to the way they once were.

            That's when I realized what good the HCMD could do: if we traveled, we could help solve problems across an infinite number of different worlds, setting things right again for them.  In addition, perhaps we could learn something from _them_, something about ourselves, and about how things could have been different…

            We began making regular trips using the HCMD, with this in mind.  Some were downright fascinating, some were not…the most notable ones included a dimension where the Amoeba Boys were master criminals rather than…whatever it is they usually are.  That was a close call, because we lost the HCMD to them, until the Professor of their dimension helped me construct another.

            Another incident of note was when one of the villains of Townsville, Mojo Jojo, had stolen the HCMD to use it himself.  After he returned, we recovered the HCMD, but he was reluctant to say what happened.  It wasn't until later that we learned about the dimension he visited: one where his counterpart was good instead of evil.  I can see now why he was probably so hesitant to go into detail.

            Some of the most fascinating trips, however, were to worlds that were vastly different from our own.  In one such world we visited, there _was_ no Townsville, or Powerpuff Girls, but we met a small boy genius who lived at the exact same site where our house would have been if it existed in their world.  This boy, named Dexter, definitely had scientific prowess that rivaled my own.  In fact, while we were there, he made modifications to the HCMD, installing a miniature energy core of some sort that provided it with almost limitless power potential…henceforth, we no longer needed to wait twenty-four hours between uses.  After returning from that particular trip, I overheard Blossom talking about Dexter…I may be wrong, but it seems as though she may have a youthful crush on him…

            I found out about another such vastly different world that the girls had visited once while I was out of town.  After scolding them for doing something so dangerous without my supervision, I was intrigued to learn about this world they visited…in this world, there were no Powerpuff Girls either, but amazingly, they existed in fiction, on a television show broadcast on that world.  I was also more lenient about the trip when I learned that they prevented some evil mastermind from taking over.  It was nice to see that they can still make a difference, even across alternate realities.

            We cannot forget consequences, however.  Dimensional travel does not always have favorable outcomes, as we unfortunately learned firsthand.  On one of the trips, the girls' counterparts had no powers.  Naturally, these girls were thrilled to see 'themselves' as superheroes, and it had a profound impact on them.  In an attempt to duplicate their powers, the alternate Bubbles drank some Chemical X from the lab, a fatally toxic dose of it.  Everyone was shaken when this happened, and we were forced to re-examine what we were doing.  Were all these trips really for the good of the many worlds, or could we end up doing more harm than good?

            Trouble also came to _us_…the Roach Coach of one world had stolen their professor's plans for the HCMD, and used it to gather a massive army of roaches from across multiple dimensions.  Faced with such an unstoppable-sized army, the girls wouldn't be able to defeat him alone…it took the technical expertise of Dexter (the aforementioned boy genius we met), and the help of yet _another_ world's Powerpuff Girls (I chose the toughest ones I knew, the ones from my very first excursion) in order to stop this threat.

            Our last excursion really opened my eyes in terms of dimensional trade.  In this world, the Amoeba Boy virus had run unchecked, and endangered the lives of everyone across the entire planet.  Since we had the cure, it was child's play to retrieve it from our world and give it to them.  I started to realize something…maybe, if we could establish trade of technology and/or resources between our world and other worlds, it could be beneficial to all.

            That is why the Hyper Conduit Manifestation Device is merely a stepping-stone to a greater scientific achievement.  In order for such exchanges to take places, we need something more lasting than the HCMD, and that is what I intend to develop.  I have not finished what I have in mind just yet, but perhaps with some help, I will succeed.  Only time will tell…if there's one thing I've learned from all this, it's that despite being exposed to so many examples of probability, it's still impossible to judge what the future will hold…

END OF PROLOGUE 


	2. Ruff Times

Powerpuff: Infinite Destinies By:  Mark J. Hadley 

*              *                *

EXCURSION 1 – "Ruff Times"

            Professor Utonium worked on the large device he had been constructing in his lab.  It was nearly ten feet in diameter, and consisted mostly of a single metallic ring, attached to a pedestal at the bottom.  It was still far from completed, but he was making progress, little by little.  Blossom flew down from upstairs, and called out, "Hey, Professor!  We're almost ready for the trip you wanted to take…"

            The professor glanced at his watch…it was that time already?  "Wow," he said.  "I guess time flies when you're having fun."

            Blossom smirked.  Only the professor would find toiling hours on end over a pile of electronics and mechanical parts 'fun'.  "So, what _is_ this thing, anyway?" she asked.

            "This could quite possibly be my greatest invention since the Hyper Conduit Manifestation Device," he said, smiling proudly.  "This is the Hyper Conduit Stabilization Portal, or HCSP.  It's an enhancement of sorts on the HCMD…"

            Curiously examining the edge of the giant ring, Blossom said, "Um, it's great…but wouldn't a tiny portable device like the HCMD be better?  Why would you want this _huge_ thing?"

            "This isn't exactly like the HCMD," the professor explained, as he continued working on the circuitry in one panel.  "The HCSP creates a _stable_ portal, which is to say, one that won't just disappear a few seconds later.  This way, you can open up a gateway indefinitely between the two dimensions, through which anyone can freely pass back and forth."

            "Wow," Blossom remarked.  "That's amazing…"

            The professor nodded, "Yes…unfortunately, it's a two-step process.  Some kind of receiving device must be located at close to the same location in the other dimension for it to work.  _Both_ sides of the portal must be stable, you see, or else it'll collapse just like any normal one."  He set down his tools, "But anyway, it's still a long ways off from completion.  A few important parts need to be developed, and I'm hoping that perhaps I can get help from an alternate Professor Utonium…is everyone set for the trip?"

            "Bubbles and Buttercup are upstairs, they're ready," Blossom told him.

            "Great!"  The professor walked over to a table on the other side of his lab and scooped up the HCMD from it, and the plans for the HCSP.  Blossom flew upstairs and out of the lab, while the professor followed behind her.  _I always welcome the prospect of new dimensional data, _he thought, _but hopefully I can find what I need to finish the HCSP also…_

*          *            *

            Out on the streets in front of 'their house', the usual swirling vortex created by the HCMD opened up, and the professor stepped through, accompanied a moment later by the Powerpuff Girls.  The vortex sealed up as it always did, leaving them in the new dimension.  "Well, what've we got?" Buttercup asked.

            The professor examined the readings on the HCMD, and said, "Hmm…not bad, this dimension has a very low differential index.  It's probably a lot like ours."

            Blossom flew towards their front door and said, "Well, let's find out if our counterparts are home."  She grinned a little, and then rang the doorbell.  There was no response, so she rung it again.  Still nothing, even after a little waiting.

            "They're probably not home," Bubbles pointed out.

            "Hmm," Blossom said, glancing towards the buildings of Townsville in the distance.  As she did, she spotted a brief flash of light as something flew across the city skyline.  They couldn't see it from a distance, but they _did_ recognize a multicolored trail of light behind them.  "Hey, there they are!" she said, pointing.

            Buttercup looked over at the professor and asked, "Can we go over and say hi?  We'll explain about being from another dimension and stuff."

            "Fine, but be careful," the professor asked.  "And hurry back.  I'll be waiting here to see if their professor shows up."

            "Okay!  We'll see you later, professor!" Bubbles said, waving, and all three of the girls flew off towards the buildings in the distance.  The professor watched them leave, then causally leaned up against a tree nearby, taking out his pipe and lighting it.  He hoped his alter ego wouldn't take _too_ long showing up.

*          *            *

            It was over the skyscrapers that they caught sight of them again.  The girls spotted the light trails that were left in their wake.  Blossom was concerned, though, "Hey, do you notice something weird about those trails?"

            "Like what?" Buttercup asked.

            "They're different," she said.  "I can't put my finger on it, but something's off about them…"

            "I know what it is," Bubbles said, pointing at the quickly diminishing trails they followed.  "They're darker!"

            Buttercup looked, and nodded, "Oh yeah, you're right.  Weird…"

            They swung around the next bank of buildings, which emptied out into open air.  It was near a section of lower buildings, so there was no longer any obstructions.  They immediately came to a halt as they saw the three targets they had been chasing off in the distance.  All three were stopped, and they were looking out across the rest of the city.

            And they weren't the Powerpuff Girls, either.  The girls had only seen them once before, but that was enough.  There was no mistaking them, either; they looked precisely the same as they had remembered them.  Buttercup and Bubbles both gritted their teeth at the memory.

Under her breath, Blossom said, "Rowdyruff Boys…"

            Their heads perked up…they must have heard.  Of course they would have heard, Blossom reasoned, since they had all the same powers as them, including ultrasonic hearing.  The three of them spun around to face them, and looked equally shocked to see the girls.  Now that they saw them head-on, there was no doubt who they were.

            The girls had never learned their names.  The red one spoke first, in surprise, "Powerpuff Girls!  But how…"

            "Nevermind how, Brick, let's just get 'em!" the green one shouted.

            Blossom didn't like this one bit.  They hadn't been prepared for a fight, especially against one of the most formidable opponents they had ever faced.  She muttered quietly, "Stay close, girls…we have to do this together!"

            Bubbles set her expression and nodded, and Buttercup said, "Right."

            'Brick' pointed at each of the girls, saying, "Boomer, you take the blue one…Butch, you take the green…I'll handle the pink.  All right…go!"  In a flash, the three of them had crossed the skies, heading straight for the girls in the blink of an eye.  At the last second, the Powerpuffs each flew suddenly upwards to avoid their charge.

            Brick spun around, and said, "Separate 'em!  They'll be weaker that way!"  'Boomer' and 'Butch' nodded and both of them suddenly opened fire with their eyebeams.  They weren't aiming at the girls themselves, but at the spots between the girls.  It did its intended job, as both Bubbles and Buttercup split off, instinctively moving away from the beams.

            "No, don't split u--…" Blossom shouted, but was cut off as Brick slammed into her, shoulder-first.  The impact sent her flying into the side of a building.  Bubbles and Buttercup were about to fly over to help her, but were stopped as Boomer and Butch flew up in front of each of them respectively, blocking their paths.

            Buttercup responded by swinging a fast flurry of punches at Butch.  He blocked all of the incoming blows just as fast as she could throw them…but then, she suddenly spun in midair, swinging both of her legs into a double kick.  They struck him on the side of the head, knocking him out of the sky, where he crashed into the rooftop directly below.

            Bubbles dodged several strong blows swung by Boomer, just barely able to keep ahead of his speed.  On his next punch, Bubbles slipped to one side, but reached out and grabbed hold of his arm.  She swung him around in a circle, releasing and causing him to crash through the side of a small water tower.

            By this time, Blossom had emerged from the side of the building she had crashed into, and ducked with a yelp as Brick's eyebeams struck the wall behind her.  She fired her own eyebeams back, scoring a direct hit, but as the hit knocked him back, Brick ended up slamming into Bubbles from behind the hit carrying them both down to the street.

            Noticing what happened, Buttercup started to fly down to help her out, when Butch rushed up behind her, grabbing her from behind and pinning her arms to her back.  As she struggled, Boomer emerged from the water tower and flew over, throwing a series of punches to her gut while she was pinned.  Blossom gasped and quickly threw herself into a flying kick, knocking Boomer away, and Buttercup took advantage of the moment to raise her feet and kick Butch off of her back.

            On the street below, Brick and Bubbles had recovered, and their arms were locked against each other, trying to grapple the other.  They pushed for a few moments, gritting their teeth, until finally, Brick did suddenly did a little back flip, kicking Bubbles up into the air.  She tumbled for a few moments, but Blossom and Buttercup caught her as she reached where they were.

            "This is crazy," Buttercup exclaimed, watching as the three of them regrouped below where Brick was.  "How are we gonna stop 'em?  They're just as strong as they were before…stronger, even…"

            "We're going to have to go to the backup plan," Blossom said.  "You remember, right?"

            Bubbles smiled and nodded, but Buttercup frowned and said, "Ugh…don't remind me…"

            Below them, Brick said, "The Powerpuffs are too strong…we're gonna have to do what we did before, okay, guys?"  Boomer and Butch both nodded…but before they could do anything, Brick braced himself and said, "Hold on, here they come again…"

            They were approaching differently, though…all three of them were in completely non-aggressive poses, and instead were smiling, their expressions fixed right on the boys.  This strange behavior took them completely off-guard…_What are they up to?_ Brick wondered.  _It almost looks like they're gonna…_  As he stood there, dumbfounded, Blossom glided right up to him and softly planet a kiss directly on his cheek…Bubbles and a reluctant Buttercup followed suit with Boomer and Butch…

            "_Ackpth!!_" Brick cried out, falling back a few steps and wiping his cheek off.  Boomer and Butch were in similar expressions of disgust as Brick exclaimed, "I've been kissed by a _girl_…_yeech!!_"

            The girls' smiles slowly faded as they watched them, replaced by shock.  Bubbles whispered, "But…i-it's not working…"

            "I know…" Blossom said, equally confused.  "But…why…"

            Buttercup stuck her tongue out, "Agh, you mean I kissed that guy for _nothing?_  Bleahh…"

            Brick finished wiping his face and frowned, "That's the last straw…let's do it, boys!"  The three of them suddenly flew _away _from the girls, heading for the woods.  The girls just hovered there, not sure if they should follow or not, especially since their foolproof plan to destroy the Rowdyruff Boys hadn't worked…

            They started to return a moment later, and the girls braced themselves, not knowing what it was they had planned, but they had to be ready for anything.  They got closer, and Blossom realized at the last minute that they were carrying something.  Before she could shout a warning to the other girls, though, the boys abruptly flung everything they were holding directly at them.

            Whatever it was, it was slimy…and moving.  It took Blossom a moment to realize that they had just thrown a huge handful of bugs and insects on them.  Bubbles must have realized it too, because she suddenly shrieked and started flying around in a circle, going, "_Gross gross gross gross gross gross!!!!_"  Blossom herself was a little revolted by it, brushing the bugs off from herself.

            The boys, though, looked puzzled, like it didn't have the effect they had hoped for.  Boomer said, "Brick…it…didn't…"

            Buttercup scraped the last of the bugs off from her and gave them a heavy stomp on the ground.  She fixed her eyes on the boys, gritting her teeth angrily, and said, "Okay…that's _it!_  I've _had _it!  You're goin' down _right now!_"  She started to fly towards them, and the boys raised their arms defensively and with some uncertainty…

            "_Wait!_" Blossom shouted loudly, and Buttercup came to a halt, glancing quizzically at her as she continued, "Something's not right here…Rowdyruff Boys, why did you do that just now?"

            "Well, duh," Butch said.  "It's how we destroyed you _last _time…don't play dumb!"

            "Destroyed us…?" Bubbles said in shock.  She glanced around at the city, which was still quite intact, save for the little damage caused by their battle just now.  "But then…why didn't Mojo destroy everything?"

            Brick looked even more confused now, and said, "We just _told _you, because we _stopped _you…"

            "Wh…huh?" Buttercup said, scratching her head.  "You guys aren't making any sense!"

            Blossom thought for a moment, then said, "No, I think I understand…"  She landed and started to walk over.  The boys went into defensive stances, but Blossom rose her arms and said, "Relax, I'm not gonna fight you.  I just wanted to ask a couple simple questions that'll probably clear this whole mess up."

            Brick regarded her carefully and said, "Go on…"

            "Okay…" Blossom said.  "Who created you?"

            Boomer blinked a few times and said, "Professor Utonium…why?"

            Bubbles and Buttercup glanced at each other as Blossom asked, "And who created _us?_"

            Butch frowned, "That jerk, Mojo…"

            A smile of understanding spread across the girls' faces, and Blossom said, "Okay, that's what I thought…we need someplace to talk, I've got something to tell you…"

*          *            *

            They gathered near the lake in the park and went over all the details, about the HCMD, about them being from another dimension…but mostly, about the differences between their two dimensions.  The boys listened, and were amazed.  "So…lemme get this straight…" Butch said.  "Where you come from, the professor created _you?_  And it was _Mojo_ who created us?"

            "That's about the size of it," Buttercup said.

            Blossom nodded, and asked, "So, why the bugs, anyway?"

            "Well, that's how we stopped you in our world," Brick explained.  "I still remember the talk we had with Ms. Bellum.  'What are little girls most afraid of?' she asked…"

            "Being kissed!" Boomer exclaimed.

            "No, dummy, that's what _you're _afraid of," Butch said with a frown.

            "Oh yeah…" Boomer said, sheepishly.

            Bubbles cringed a little, "So you threw _bugs_ on 'em?  That's so mean!"

            "Maybe, but it worked," Brick pointed out.  "They totally freaked out, and ended up self-destructing right on the spot.  'Course, the professor said somethin' about their formulas probably bein' unstable to begin with…it was just our little extra nudge that caused 'em to break down."

            "Yeah, our professor said the same thing!" Blossom said.

            "Mmhm," Boomer said.  "I take it that's how you defeated _us,_ by kissing us, right?"  He shuddered a little, "Man, what a way to go…"

            "I dunno," Brick said jokingly.  "Doesn't sound _too _bad…"  Boomer nudged him hard in the ribs, and he quickly shut up.

            Buttercup spoke up, "So, everything else is the same, then?  Mojo?  Fuzzy Lumpkins?  Him?  They're all still around?  The Gangreen Gang?"

            "Yeah," Butch said, frowning a little at that last one.  "Man…that Ace is a _jerk_…I can't believe I wanted to _be_ like him…"

            "What do you mean?" Bubbles asked.

            Butch looked away slightly and said, "Well…see, this one time, I kinda thought that the gang wasn't really as bad as we thought they were, so I…well, I wanted to join the gang…be just like Ace, you know…he was kind of like a role-model, I guess, something I wanted to become.  But he tricked me, used me to set a trap for Brick and Boomer.  I'm glad I found out in time…I'm never trusting that guy _again_…"

            "Wow," Buttercup said.  "That's not too far off from something that happened to _me_…"

            Butch looked surprised, "Really?  Ace was your role-model?"

            "Nnnnnnot exactly…" Buttercup fidgeted.  "Nevermind, I don't really wanna talk about it…"

            "So despite you guys yourselves being different," Blossom observed, "events seem to have gone the same way in your world, except for these little things.  Like, did you guys ever run into Femme Fatale?"

            "Don't _remind _me!" Boomer exclaimed.  "That little…arrgh!  When we caught her, she told us that the only reason we managed to catch her was because of our superpowers…that without them, we'd just be 'useless boys'…"

            Brick nodded, "Yeah, I just said, 'You bet,' and was ready to cart her off to jail, but then she kept talking, and actually convinced us how completely worthless we were…how we were relying on our powers to make up for our male stupidity…you know, things like that.  It was kind of depressing in a way.  She somehow turned tables on us and talked us into letting her go."

            "We didn't even want to try and stop her anymore after that," Butch said.  "We felt so useless…until the professor gave us a pep-talk, making us realize that we _were _equals.  Being male or female doesn't determine our worthiness; what matters is how we live up to our potential, and our powers give us the potential to be great crime fighters.  Needless to say, we caught her pretty easily after that."

            "Speaking of the professors," Buttercup suddenly said, "we left ours out by your guys' house…maybe we should get back over to him, to make sure he's all right and everything…"

            "Sure!" Brick said.  "C'mon, follow us!"  The three of them took off, and the girls followed directly behind them.  Blossom shook her head, smiling to herself.  _It's amazing,_ she thought.  _I never would have imagined the Rowdyruff Boys as heroes.  These alternate worlds really do hold a lot of surprises…_

*          *            *

            Reaching home, they found that the alternate professor had already arrived.  The two professors were at the table in the kitchen, going over the HCSP plans that he had brought with them.  As the six of them entered, and the professors looked up at their approach, Blossom said, "Professor, the…"

            "I know," the professor said, cutting her off.  "The Rowdyruff Boys are good in this world.  Professor Utonium explained everything."

            Alt-Professor nodded, "That's right," and gave the girls a cautious glance.  "It _is _kind of strange to see the Powerpuff Girls again…you know, after 'they' almost _killed _you…"

            "Relax, Prof, they're harmless," Brick assured him.

            Buttercup folded her arms, "I'm _far_ from 'harmless', thank you very much!"

            Elbowing her, Butch said, "Eh, he's just teasin'…so, what have _you _two been doin'?"

            "Trying to solve the last few problems with the HCSP before I can finish building it," the professor said.  "The biggest problem we have right now is tracking the portal's coordinates through dimensional space.  It has to not only be completely precise, but also adjust for minor fluctuations."

            Nodding, alt-Professor said, "We'd definitely need to have some sort of dimensional scanning device that makes use of inverted quantum tachyons, but such a device doesn't exist yet…"

            "Wait a minute," Brick said, floating over to the edge of the table.  "Say that again?  What does it need?"

            "Um," alt-Professor said, rubbing his chin, "Inverted quantum tachyons?"

            Brick pounded one fist into his other and said, "That's _it!_  Last time we carted Mojo off to prison, he said he was working on a way for one of his discoveries to destroy us, and that it was only a matter of time until he found it.  But he mentioned exactly what you just said!"

            "Awesome," Butch said, grinning.  "So let's just fly over there and get it, all right?"

            Boomer seemed hesitant, however, and asked, "Uh, do we even know what we're looking for?"

            There was a pause, before Brick said, "You're right…no idea what this thing looks like, and Mojo's probably not gonna just point it out for us…"

            "In that case," Blossom suggested, landing on the edge of the table, "I have a plan.  It's like this…"  The others gathered around as she explained what it was they were going to do…

*          *            *

            Mojo rummaged through his refrigerator in irritation, "This cannot be!  I was certain that I had purchased the proper ingredients for the dinner that I had planned to prepare for this evening's consumption, but I am lacking some of them!  Unless…"  He scratched his chin as he recalled, "Curses, I have forgotten that in my haste to prepare breakfast this morning, I had used some of the ingredients in the meal I had prepared in the breakfast that I had eaten.  I shall have to re-think this evening's menu with this in mind…"

            He didn't have time to re-think for long, because at that moment, the Powerpuff Girls crashed in through the roof of the observatory.  He spun around as he saw them enter, and Bubbles immediately started to shout, "Not so f—…"

            Buttercup quickly clamped a hand over Bubbles' mouth, cutting her off, and whispered, "Shh…not this time, remember?"

            "Sorry," Bubbles whispered back.  "Force of habit."

            As Mojo stared over wide-eyed at the intruders in his observatory, the carton of milk he had currently been holding slipped out of his hands and splashed to the floor.  "Powerpuff Girls?  But…how can this be?"

            "Does it really matter?" Blossom asked.  "We're here, aren't we?"

            Instead of answering, Mojo did something unexpected…he rushed over, grabbing all three girls out of the air and hugging them tightly.  "My girls," he said almost looking teary-eyed.  "You do not know how much I've missed you!"

            "Uhh…" Buttercup started to say.

            Mojo released the embrace and said, "But now, to business…since you have returned, then perhaps together we can device a plan, to use my superior intellects and your tremendous powers, to rule the world and finally defeat those accursed Rowdyruff Boys, once and for all!"

            "Yeah," Blossom nodded.  "But you know, what we _really _need to defeat the boys would be something that can generate inverted quantum tachyons…"

            Mojo looked confused, "What?  Why would you need one of those?"

            "It's…uhh…part of our plan!" Bubbles answered.

            "Like you said," Buttercup pointed out, "a mix of your smarts and our strengths."

            "Wellllll…" Mojo said, scratching the side of his head.  "I suppose…if you _really _have found a way that it can defeat the Rowdyruff Boys, then it's all yours…"  He headed over to a table, scooping up a small microchip-like object, carrying it over to them.  "Just do not break it, as it is the only one I have constructed."

            Blossom took it, and looked down at the tiny thing.  "That's _it?_"

            "That's it," Mojo said.  "Now…before you leave, do you mind telling me just how you came back into being, after I was so certain that the Rowdyruff Boys had defeated you?"

            "Well…" Bubbles said quickly, "…we just…came back to life!  Just like that!"

            Buttercup nodded, "Yeah…now, let's go get those Rowdyruffs!"  The other girls nodded, and the three of them flew back out of the hole they made in the ceiling.  Mojo watched them go, a little puzzled, as he thought, _Just came back to life, for no reason at all?  Highly illogical and unlikely…but I suppose acceptable, so long as they're back.  _He grinned evilly…_Yes!  With the Powerpuff Girls fighting for me once again, nothing can stop me from ruling Townsville, and then the world!_

*          *            *

            "Boy, Mojo's gonna be steamed when we tell him we just defeated you again," Brick told the girls, as they gathered with the professor outside their house.  "He's not gonna like that at _all!_"

            "Nah, he'll be okay," Buttercup said.  "Just give him a few good punches, and he'll forget _all _about it."

            Butch grinned, "That's what _I'm _talkin' about!  I like the way ya think, Buttercup!"

            As the professor finished making the proper adjustments to the HCMD, Bubbles said, "It's kinda sad, though…Mojo seemed like he really missed us…I mean, his Powerpuff Girls…"

            "You really think so?" alt-Professor asked.

            Bubbles nodded, and added, "I wonder if _our _Mojo felt the same way about the Rowdyruff Boys?"

            They all stopped to think about this for a few moments, before Blossom said, "I guess we'll never know…unless you guys want to come visit someday, and help us find _out_…"

            "That's all right," Boomer said, shaking his head.  "I think I like things the way they are here.  You girls have a safe trip, all right?"

            All of them nodded, and the professor raised the HCMD, saying, "All set!"  With a push of the button, the vortex back to their own world opened up.  The girls slipped through, waving to the boys, and the professor gave the small chip in his hand one more glance before smiling and saying, "Goodbye, boys, Professor!" as he stepped through.  They all waved goodbye, and watched the vortex seal back up once again…

END OF PART 1 


	3. A Noteworthy Date

Powerpuff: Infinite Destinies By:  Mark J. Hadley 

*              *                *

EXCURSION 2 – "A Noteworthy Date"

                As Professor Utonium twisted the dials on the controls to the radio device he had sitting on the desk in his lab, he spoke into the microphone attached to it, "Okay, how was that…better?"  Receiving no reply, he tried adjusting the dial in the other direction and repeated, "How's that?"

            "There!  Perfect!" came a heavily accented voice from the speakers.  There was a fair bit of static, but all things considered, it was coming through a lot better than it was before.  The voice continued, "Do not touch a thing, Professor!  I am picking you up well enough to continue with the experiment.  Allow me to congratulate you again on another fine invention!"

            "Thank you," the professor replied with a smile.  "No fluctuations?"

            After a moment, the voice answered, "None, it appears stable.  What is the power drain from your end?"

            "It's up by point-three percent," the professor said, noting the readout.  "Still within acceptable limits.  I want to thank you again for conducting these experiments with me; it's making the process go a lot faster.  Pretty soon, we can test out the HCSP itself.  Are you ready for a trial run?"

            "Ready when you are," the voice said.  "Just let me know when."

            The door to the lab opened, and both Blossom and Bubbles flew down.  The professor looked up and greeted them with a smile before returning to his equipment to make the necessary adjustments for opening the portal.  Blossom smiled and said, "We're ready for the next trip, Professor!"

            "Not today, Blossom," the professor said without looking up from the controls.  "Today, I'm testing the Hyper Conduit Stabilization Portal, so the trip's been cancelled for now…unless this works, of course."

            The voice resumed talking from the speakers, "All systems are go.  Power levels at maximum output."

            Bubbles looked curiously at the device and asked, "What's that, Professor?"

            "That," he said, waving his hand across it, "is an interdimensional transmitter I set up.  A bit bulky, but it works.  It's making it a lot easier to conduct this trial run, since otherwise I would have to use the HCMD to go back and forth repeatedly between the dimensions."

            "Professor?" the voice spoke again.  "I am still waiting for your signal…"

            Blossom's eyes widened when she heard the voice, and she moved next to the professor, "Hey, is that…?"  Speaking loudly enough to be heard through the microphone, she called out, "Dexter?  Is that you?"

            "Oh," came the voice again, sounding a little less thrilled.  "Hello, Blossom."

            "I knew it!" Blossom said, grinning widely.  Bubbles covered her mouth to stifle a giggle as Blossom leaned closer to the microphone and said, "You're helping the Professor?"

            "Well, obviously," Dexter replied.  "Now, if you don't mind…"

            "Oh, not at all!  Don't let me get in your way!" Blossom nodded, then backed away from the controls again.  The professor smiled and returned to the settings, powering up the HCSP.  As he did, Blossom drifted back to where Bubbles was and whispered with barely-contained glee, "Do you know what this means?!"

            "What?" Bubbles whispered back.

            "If this works, then we're visiting Dexter today!" Blossom exclaimed.  "I'm so excited!"

            With a grin, Bubbles asked, "You just wanna visit your _boyfriend_, don't you?"

            Composing herself, Blossom lowered her eyes a bit and replied, "He's _not_ my boyfriend…"  After a few seconds, she added, "…_yet_, I mean…look, just don't go spreading this around, okay?  Especially to Buttercup…"

            "I won't," Bubbles promised.

            The girls both looked back at the professor, who was busy making the final adjustments.  A ring of yellow lights started to switch on, one after another, along the outside edge of the ring that made up the bulk of the device.  Once they were all on, he spoke into the microphone, "Okay, now!"  An instant later, each of the lights projected a beam of bright yellow electricity, converging at the center.  A small, swirling vortex came into being where the beams collided, and slowly grew until it stretched out all the way to the edge of the ring.  It looked a lot like an HCMD portal, except yellow instead of purple…and much larger.

            "Good, good!" the professor said, examining the readouts.  "This end is completely stable…how's yours?"

            The message was a little more garbled than before due to the interference, but Dexter's voice came through nonetheless, "One hundred percent stability.  Success!"

            "Can we go through?" Blossom asked, moving up closer to it.

            "Yes…but we still need to test…" the professor began, but the moment he had said "yes", Blossom dashed towards the vortex before anyone could stop her.  Plunging into it, she disappeared from view.  The professor cringed, and spoke into the microphone, "Uh, Dexter…?"

            There was a few seconds of pause, then Dexter's voice came back on, sounding slightly irritated.  "No need to tell me, she's right here.  You know, if you wanted to test it, you could have just tossed an _inanimate_ object through…"

            "Sorry," the professor apologized.  He noticed the interference was getting stronger and said, "Dexter, are you reading this?  I'm getting some power fluctuations…"

            "Hold on…" Dexter replied, but then he quickly added, "Professor!  It's…"  Without warning, the device simply shut off.  All the lights dimmed on it, and the vortex closed back up in the blink of an eye.  The professor and Bubbles both stared in shock at it for a moment, before Dexter's voice came through and said, "Oh, wonderful…"

*          *            *

            "What happened?" Blossom asked, hovering near Dexter in his laboratory.  Dexter was hard at work at the controls of the machine.  The device had itself been able to generate an unstable dimensional portal in the past, so it only took a few modifications to convert it into a receiving point for the professor's HCSP.  Still, something had gone wrong to shut the portal down, and Blossom was naturally concerned.

            Going over the readings, Dexter grabbed the microphone from the console and spoke into it, "Total power failure, Professor.  What is your status over there?"

            The professor's voice came through, still garbled, "I'm sorry…there was a fluctuation in power, and it caused the stability of the portal to drop until it eventually collapsed altogether.  I can compensate for it next time we try."

            "At least the transmitter is still working…" Dexter said, smacking the side of it to try and get a better signal.  "Just barely."

            "I think it's because of interference from the portal," the professor replied back.

            Nodding, Dexter said, "Yes, that was my hypothesis as well, as I am still reading interference.  It is fading…very gradually, though.  I think it would be dangerous to attempt another dimensional transfer until it is clear."

            "Agreed," the professor replied, then quickly added, "Is Blossom okay?"

            Blossom flew over and scooped the microphone out of Dexter's hands.  He was a little miffed, but decided not to say anything as she spoke into it, "I'm right here, Professor.  Don't worry about me, I'll be fine…um, how long am I going to be stuck here, though?"

            "It looks like around three hours or so…not too bad," the professor replied.  "You just stay out of trouble, okay?"

            "Of course!" Blossom said back.  She set down the microphone and turned to Dexter, "Well, looks like I'm here for a while longer…"

            "I'm thrilled," Dexter lied.  "Look, can you find something to keep yourself occupied until then?  I have much work to do today, and I do not wish to be dist—.."

            Not letting him finish, Blossom instead grabbed his arm and started dragging him towards the lab exit, saying, "C'mon!  I haven't seen too much of your world…why don't you give me a tour?  Show me around to see some of the sights, you know?  And hey, it's almost lunch, too, so maybe you can take me out to eat, too…"

            "What?  _Oh _no…" Dexter shouted, trying to yank his arm free unsuccessfully.  "There's _no_ way!  This is beginning to sound more like a date than a tour…"

            Scratching her head, Blossom smiled sheepishly and said, "Yeah…heheh, it _does_ kinda sound like that, doesn't it?  Imagine that.  So…will you?'

            Dexter tapped his chin, "Let me think about it…_NO!_"

            "Aw, c'mon," Blossom pleaded.  "Look, you still want to know more about our powers, right?"

            "Well…yes…" Dexter admitted.  "…why?"

            "Tell you what," Blossom offered.  "If you show me around, then I'll spend the rest of my time here taking whatever tests you want me to, okay?"  There was a pause as Dexter considered the offer, and Blossom asked, "Do we have a deal?"

            _Hmm,_ Dexter thought.  _Well, I do want data on their amazing abilities…I still think I might be able to duplicate them somehow if I knew enough about them…oh well, for science then._  He finally looked at her with a smile and said, "Okay, it's a deal!"  He stuck out his hand for her to shake, which she did, vigorously.

            "Great!  I'll meet you back in your room, okay?" Blossom said.  Dexter just nodded, and she quickly flew off to the lab exit.  Watching her disappear through it, Dexter sighed wearily and shook his head, thinking, _Sheesh, what is it with me and big-eyed little girls?_

*          *            *

            "Umm…and that's my school, down there," Dexter said, pointing at the elementary school below.  Blossom had insisted on flying for this first portion of their 'date', despite some protests from Dexter.  _At least this is getting this whole thing over with faster,_ he reasoned.

            Blossom nodded and said, "That's almost the same place _my_ school is, back in my dimension I mean.  Okay, so which way next?"

            "I guess we can head north," Dexter shrugged.  "There is an observatory that we will be visiting on a field trip soon, and…"

            "Ooh!" Blossom exclaimed, distracted by something and changing directions, descending quickly from the sky.  The sudden drop startled Dexter and he cringed…Blossom wasn't about to drop him or anything, but it was still kind of frightening.  He saw what Blossom was heading towards and rose an eyebrow as she said, "You guys have a Chubby Cheese, too!  That's my favorite pizza place!"

            "Actually, I'd rather not go there," Dexter told her, recalling an earlier incident at that establishment.  "Maybe we can go to…" Blossom simply changed directions before he finished, though, and started heading for another edge of town, down by the coast.  Dexter immediately shook his head, "No no, not the beach…"

            "Too late, we're already there!" Blossom shouted, descending and landing on the boardwalk of the beach before Dexter could protest further.  A few of the people gave them odd glances, and Dexter looked around at them, feeling a bit conspicuous.  Before he could say anything else, Blossom grabbed his hand and started jogging down the boardwalk, pulling him along and saying, "Isn't it a beautiful day today?"

            Dexter did his best to keep up, and grumbled, "I suppose.  Look, must you always be in such a hurry?"

            "I'm sorry," Blossom said, slowing down to a walk.  Dexter gave a sigh of relief, but as he looked up ahead where they were going, his eyes widened at someone he spotted.  He slapped a hand to his face, thinking, _Oh please…not here, not now…please, don't let her see me…_

            No such luck, though.  DeeDee was rollerblading along on the boardwalk, and when he spotted the two of them, she glided over, shouting, "Hey, Dexter!  Hi again, Blossom!"

            "Hi, DeeDee!" Blossom called back.  Dexter just looked away and tried to act like he wasn't there.

            Dee-Dee stopped near them and noticed they were holding hands.  Her smile became wider, and she said, "Showing around your _girlfriend_, Dex?  You sly devil…"

            "That's right!" Blossom quickly declared.

            "No!  She is _not _my girlfriend, she is just a normal friend…who just happens to be a girl…so…" Dexter began, then sighed, covering his face with his hand again.  He said in a lower tone, "_Please,_ do not go spreading this around at school, okay?"

            DeeDee thought about it for a moment, rubbing her chin, "Mmmmmmmm…okay!"

            Dexter was surprised, and said aloud, "That was easier than I thought…" but a flash of light suddenly blinded him.  He blocked his face with his arm, and blinked a few times, trying to clear his vision.  That's when he noticed the camera that was around Dee-Dee's neck…a camera she had just used to snap a photo of the two of them.

            "Psyche!" she said, as the instant photo popped out of the camera.  She held it up to examine it in the light and said, "Wait'll the kids at school see _this!_"

            "Cool!" Blossom said, letting go of Dexter's hand and flying over next to Dee-Dee to get a better look at the developing photo.  "Can I get a copy of it, too?"

            Dexter frowned and said through clenched teeth, "DeeDee…please, just go away and leave me alone, okay?  You and I are going to have a little talk about this photo later…"

            "Hm?  Oh, okay!" DeeDee said, pocketing the photo and resuming her skating.  She nudged Dexter as she went by him, saying, "Enjoy the rest of your date!"  She sped off down the boardwalk.

            Dexter turned and shook a fist in the air after her, shouting, "This is _not _a…"  He cut himself off, and shook his head.  Blossom landed next to him and grabbed hold of his hand again, pulling him towards a concession stand that was part of the boardwalk.  He thought to himself, _Just remember, it's for science…you're doing this for data on superpowers.  It'll be worth it in the end, really.  At least I hope…_

*          *            *

            Both of them had each gotten a hot dog and a slushie at the concession stand, and took a seat together at one of the tables that lined the boardwalk.  Blossom never released Dexter's hand; she ate one-handed and continue to stare at him with a happy smile, while Dexter kept averting his eyes and trying (but failing) to enjoy his own food.  They both continued to talk, completely unaware that they were being watched.  From further down on the beach, hidden amongst some small bushes near the edge of the sand, a pair of binoculars observed their every movement.

            "What's this?" the hidden figure said aloud, zooming in on the two of them.  Power readouts from the built-in scanner on the binoculars confirmed what he was guessing.  "What an unusual little girl…such a huge source of power there.  That would explain how she flew in before."

            He focused on their hands, still being held, and nearly burst out laughing.  "So," he said, "The Dorkster's got a girlfriend, does he?  Excellent…then I know just what to do.  And this way, I can finally gain access to all of Dexter's secrets!"  He lowered the binoculars and pulled out a small blaster with a claw-like extension on the front of it.  He quickly keyed in the frequency of the energy he had just read, and the lights on the device started glowing a faint green.

            Glancing up, he saw his opportunity.  Dexter had just gotten up from the table to toss away his empty slushie cup in a garbage bin that was a ways away from their table.  He hid the blaster behind his back and came out from his hiding place, moving quickly towards the table but also staying as quiet as possible.  Blossom had her back to him, so she didn't notice his approach.  Once he was near enough to the table, he waited for a moment when no one was looking, and put his plan into effect.  He fired a green blast of energy from the end of the weapon, which struck her in the back, causing her to tense up and become surrounded with a glowing green light.

            Blossom slumped forward unconscious, and he quickly scooped her up, tossing her over his shoulder.  Dexter started to return to the table at that moment, and spotted him.  With a gasp, Dexter recognized the figure instantly as his greatest rival, and exclaimed, "Mandark!"

            "That's right, Dexter!" Mandark said, grinning as he pulled a little remote control device out of his pocket.  "I'm returning to my lab right now, and if you ever want to see your precious girlfriend again, you will surrender _your_ lab to _me!_  You have one hour to decide…Ha ha ha, ha ha ha ha ha!"

            Without wasting another moment, Mandark clicked the button on the remote, and disappeared in a quick shimmering blue light.  Dexter just stared in shock at the spot where they once stood.  He didn't know what to say…but finally, a smile crept over his face, and he thrust his fists into the air, shouting, _"I'm free!!_"  He turned and headed happily out of the boardwalk, heading for home

*          *            *

            Blossom slowly opened her eyes, blinking them a few times as they adjusted to the light, and groaned…she felt weak, and disoriented.  It took a moment to get her bearings, and she realized that she was no longer by the beach.  She was in some kind of laboratory, surrounded by walls of metal and all kinds of machinery.  It didn't look all that much different from Dexter's lab, but it was different, somehow…eviler, more angular…

            That's also when she realized that her arms and legs were secured in restraints, in the center of a large, ring-like device.  The restraints glowed a faint green.  She gave them a tug to try and break free, but couldn't so much as budge.

            "Greetings," a voice spoke, and she looked up to see a boy standing in front of him.  He quickly identified himself with a flourish, "I am Mandark, the greatest genius the world has ever known.  Welcome to my laboratory!"

            Blossom still couldn't break free…she wondered why it was so difficult.  The restraints didn't look like Duranium; it should have been a snap to break free from them.  "Let me go!" she shouted.

            "Don't bother," Mandark told her.  "I've nullified whatever powers you might possess.  It was a piece of cake, actually, simply a matter of creating a damping field tuned to your exact power frequency.  Quite a simple task for someone as brilliant as myself."

            Frowning at him, Blossom stopped struggling and said, "So what do you want?"

            "It's easy," Mandark said.  "I saw the two of you at the beach.  If you're his girlfriend, then he'll no doubt want you returned safely.  And he'll have to turn over his _own_ laboratory to _me_ if he wants you back!"  Glancing at the clock, he added, "Only a half-hour left.  You'd better hope he comes through with this…or else…"

            "Or else what?" Blossom asked, worried.

            "Or else…" Mandark replied.  He rubbed his chin, "…or else…or else…well, I haven't thought of it yet, but I will!  Anyway, it doesn't matter; I'm sure Dexter's about ready to surrender his lab right about now…"

*          *            *

            Dexter whistled a tune as he worked on some modifications to his dimensional portal…as he worked, DeeDee came into the lab, examining the photo she took earlier.  She smiled and said, "Hey, this came out great!  I'll be able to make a lot of copies of these!"

            Sighing, Dexter didn't even look in her direction as he set his wrench down and said, "All right, DeeDee, let's hear them."

            "Hear what?" DeeDee asked.

            "Your demands," Dexter said.  "I know you want something in exchange for the photograph.  What is it?  More free lab access?"

            DeeDee thought about it and said, "And promise you won't get angry when I'm playing?"

            "Fine," Dexter said, reasoning that he could rebuild his lab a lot easier than he could recover from the embarrassment at school due to that photo.  "It's a deal, now hand it over."

            "Okay!" DeeDee said, dropping the photo, which fluttered to the ground in front of him.  She happily skipped off to another section of the lab.  Dexter gave a sigh of relief as he realize that she was heading for a section that had very few of his vital experiments, and certainly nothing that could destroy the whole lab if handled improperly.

            _Well, anyway, back to blissful productivity,_ he thought.  _Just think, if it weren't for Mandark, I'd still be on that stupid date…_ He hesitated as he thought about Blossom.  _No, she'll be okay…don't worry about her, she's a Powerpuff Girl…but…she might still be in trouble…I mean, if she's not back by now, then…_

            Dexter glanced down at the photo DeeDee had taken.  Blossom was smiling at the camera, and he was just staring in surprise.  He looked down at Blossom's hand, holding onto his, and that look in her eyes.  She was quite taken with him…she was probably waiting for Dexter to do something about this whole situation right now.  That little girl had so much faith in him, and here he was, letting her down…

            Narrowing his eyes, Dexter walked over to one of his tables and set down his wrench and the photograph, then started off towards his arsenal, while at the same time working mentally on his attack strategy.  An explosion came from deeper in the lab, no doubt something DeeDee had been fiddling with, but he had no time to deal with that now.  He had a rescue to perform.

*          *            *

            "Ten minutes," Mandark said, staring at the clock with growing frustration.  "What's taking the Dorkster so long?"  He continued to pace, waiting for his surrender to come in, but it wasn't showing.  Blossom, still secured in the restraints, was getting worried now, too…was he not coming?  Was he just going to leave her here?

            Both of their concerns were put aside as an alarm suddenly beeped in warning.  Mandark glanced in surprise over at the computer console and said, "Wha?  What's going on?"

            The robot manning the console turned towards him and buzzed, "Sensors have picked up a combat vessel on a rendezvous course with the laboratory."

            "Onscreen!" Mandark shouted.  The large viewing screen of the computer flickered on to show the image of a small winged fighter, in the familiar white, purple and black coloring that he has come to associate with Dexter's inventions.  Also, the massive gold D on the side erased any doubt as to the identity of the attacker.

            Blossom smiled, then said to Mandark, "You're in for it now!"

            "That's what you think!" Mandark replied, running up to the console and pounding a button, opening up a voice channel to the rest of his lab.  "Attention all robots!  Assume battle positions…we have an intruder en-route!  Stop him at all costs!"  Across the lab, the robots scurried around to get ready for Dexter's approach, and Mandark quickly added, "All anti-air weapons, lock onto the target and fire!"

            Outside of Mandark's house, hatches slid open, and multiple gun barrels slid out into position.  They immediately took aim at the approaching craft and unleashed a hail of blaster fire in its direction.  The ship weaved a few times, but then the blasts started impacting against the surface.  The ship started trailing smoke, and a final few blasts struck into it, obliterating it completely.

            As Blossom stared in shock at that image, Mandark grinned triumphantly, "There goes your rescuer.  What a fool to think he could just attack head on like that…"

            "Sir," the robot at the console interrupted.  "Detecting a perimeter breach in sector four."

            "_What?!_" Mandark exclaimed.  "But that's a subterranean sector!  That would mean…"

*          *            *

            Dexter blasted his way through the side of one of the lower levels of Mandark's lab.  There being no further use for it at the moment, he disembarked from the tunneling vehicle and pulled out a laser rifle from the side of the backpack he wore.  He smiled at the lack of security in this sector…the robot-controlled ship he had sent provided just enough distraction for him to slip past his early warning sensors.  Of course, he had no doubt that Mandark knew of his arrival by _now_…

            These thoughts were confirmed when he saw a group of four robots emerging from a doorway on the other end of the chamber.  Their built-in weapons were already armed, so Dexter wasted no time in firing a blast from his rifle at them as they approached.  It struck one in the chest, blasting it to pieces, while the other three scattered and returned fire.

            With a quick leap to one side, Dexter took cover behind a stack of equipment and looked around for anything that might give him an advantage in this fight.  His eyes settled on a metal pillar near where the remaining robots were gathered.  Taking careful aim, he shot the base of the pillar, and as he expected, the entire structure toppled, landing on the robots and crushing them.  Dexter grinned and said, "No problem.  Now to find Blossom before reinforcements arrive."

            He made a break for the door the robots had come through, undoubtedly leading to the upper levels.  It led upwards, all right, but it was a vertical passageway, with no stairs or ladders.  He thought he heard the sound of more robots approaching from the room he had just left, so thinking quickly, he raised his arm and fired a grappling line from an arm-mounted device.  It attached to the top of the passageway, and he reeled himself up.

            As he expected, this lead him into the heart of Mandark's lab.  Off in the distance, he spotted what he had come for; Blossom was secured by a machine, no doubt sapping her power so that she couldn't break free.  The coast seemed clear, so he ran in her direction.  Blossom spotted him and shouted, "Dexter, wait!  It's a…"

            Too late, a circle of robots suddenly appeared from nowhere, disengaging their cloaking devices which had previously rendered them invisible.  Now trapped in the middle of them, with no escape route, Dexter froze as the robots all aimed their weapons at him.  "This is not good," Dexter said aloud.

            "Understatement of the year, Dexter!" Mandark's voice came.  His face appeared on a monitor nearby overlooking the room, and he said, "I took the liberty of retreating to a safer location, and leaving a little welcome for you.  I guess this means you're not about to turn over your lab…"

            "Of course not," Dexter frowned, glancing around and taking note of his surroundings, making some quick mental calculations.

            Mandark shrugged, "No harm in asking, I suppose.  Well, do you have any last requests before I give the order to open fire?"

            "Just one," Dexter said.  "Have your cameras tape this, because it is going to be one doozy of a shot!"  He suddenly fired his laser rifle up at an angle towards the ceiling.  The shot rebounded off the smooth walls of the lab, bouncing from wall to wall and off the side of a bank of machines before finally striking the nearby computer console dead center.  It shorted out in a flash of sparks and electricity.

            The green glow surrounding Blossom faded, as power ceased to be fed to her restraints.  Realizing that she had her strength back, she yanked hard, breaking her bonds and pulling her legs and arms free instantly.  As Mandark stared in awe from the screen, Blossom flew out from the device and landed next to Dexter, back-to-back with him and facing the robots.  "Thanks for the rescue, Dex!  You really do care…"

            Dexter nodded, "Yeah…well…the Professor would have killed me if you didn't get back safely.  Ready to finish these bots?"

            "Ready!" Blossom exclaimed.  Dexter flipped a switch on his rifle, switching over to continuous-fire mode, and unleashed a solid beam of light from the end, which he moved an arc, slicing several robots in half.  Blossom fired her eyebeams similarly, cutting down the nearest robots with ease.  As the remaining robots started to open fire, Blossom grabbed hold of Dexter's hand and went airborne, the shots missing them entirely.  Once in the air, Dexter took shots at the robots, destroying them with ease.

            "Noo!" Mandark cried out from the monitor.  "That's it, Dexter!  You leave me no choice now!  HK-111, destroy them!"  The two of them turned as they heard a tremor come from deeper inside the lab, and they saw a massive armor-plated robot charging in their direction.  The robot's right arm was nothing more than a tremendous cannon, and a pair of missile launchers sat on its shoulders.  It looked like something that could take an army down easily.

            Blossom narrowed her eyes and said, "I've got this one."  She fired a blast of her eyebeams at it, but HK-111 raised its left hand.  A strange pulse of energy built up on the palm, creating a forcefield that rebounded the attack away harmlessly.  While Blossom stared in shock, the robot raised its gun arm and fired a strong blast of purple energy that slammed her back against the far wall.

            "Blossom!" Dexter shouted.  He gritted his teeth and decided this was a good time to use _his_ secret weapon.  Pressing a button on his watch, his Exo-Jock 4000 mechanical augmentation suit folded out from his backpack.  Grabbing hold of the arm controls, he immediately launched towards HK-111, swinging the large arms of the suit at its chest.  The punch connected, and the robot staggered back, trying to regain its balance.

            Dexter didn't give it the time.  Stretching out the palms of the suit, he started shooting a rapid-fire series of energy blasts at it.  The blasts impacted against the chest, each one exploding and kicking up a cloud of debris, until the entire robot was obscured by it.  Even so, Dexter didn't stop firing for a moment, and kept attacking the center of the cloud, until he was certain it had to have been destroyed.  Finally, he stopped and waited for the dust to settle.

            As it did, he became aware of a large shape still in the center, and said, "No way, it couldn't _possibly_ have…"  Before he could finish, a spread of missiles launched out of the cloud.  Cringing, Dexter took a quick leap to the side to avoid them, and then realized he goofed…his defenses were lowered, and HK-111, looking more or less unscathed, came charging out of the dust, ramming into him shoulder-first.

            He was knocked to the ground and tumbled for a dozen feet before coming to a stop.  The suit was battered from the impact, and as he tried to get back up, the controls wouldn't respond.  HK-111 took a few steps in his direction, towering over him, and raised a huge foot, preparing to slam it down on him.  Dexter clenched his eyes shut.

            The foot only made it halfway down, though, before it came to a stop.  Dexter opened one eye and saw Blossom…she had recovered, and had caught the foot before it could crush him.  Holding it at bay, she suddenly shoved hard, pushing HK-111 back.  It tottered on its other leg for a moment, and that's when Blossom quickly rammed that leg, breaking it into pieces.  With nothing left to stand on, HK-111 collapsed onto its back, and started to short out, looking like it was ready to explode.

            Taking the cue, Blossom grabbed hold of Dexter, battered exo-suit and all, and flew right out the side of the lab with him.  The robot exploded behind them, barely covering up Mandark's shouts of, "You won't get away with this, Dexter!  I'll defeat you yet, mark my words!"  They emerged out into the sunlight, and Blossom looked around to get her bearings, finally heading off in the direction of Dexter's home.

            As they flew back, Dexter said, "Hey, Blossom…thanks for saving my life in there."

            "It's the least I could do," Blossom told him with a smile.  "Especially after that daring rescue."

            Dexter grinned back, "Yeah…that _was_ pretty good, wasn't it?"  He glanced at his watch and said, "Well, it's almost time for you to get back home…"

            "What about the tests you wanted to run?" Blossom reminded him.  "Remember, our agreement?"

            "Look, just forget about it," Dexter said, shaking his head.  "I've had quite enough for one day, thank you.  I just want to get back to work."

            Blossom lowered her eyes, "Okay…" then brightened and said, "I'll come back to visit you again, once the Professor gets that portal working!"  Dexter just sighed and decided not to protest this time, letting her fly them the rest of the way home.

*          *            *

            Right on schedule, the professor activated the HCSP from his dimension, and Dexter activated his own dimensional portal to stabilize it.  This time, with the boost in power from the Professor's end, the portal remained open and showed no signs of decay.  "Success, Professor!" Dexter said into the transmitter.  "We have achieved one hundred percent stability!"

            "Great!" the professor's voice came back.  "We'll soon be ready for a field test, then.  I can't thank you enough for your help, Dexter…this is a tremendous achievement, and I couldn't have done it without you."

            "Thank you," Dexter said, smiling.  "So, do you want your daughter back?"

            "If you don't mind," the professor said with a chuckle.  "She wasn't any trouble, was she?"

            "Of course not," Dexter replied.  "She's on her way, then you can disconnect the portal.  Good luck with future experiments, Professor!"

            He switched off the transmitter and walked over to the portal, where Blossom was waiting.  She smiled and said, "That was fun, Dexter…I mean, aside from being held hostage and having to battle robots and stuff…we'll have to do it again some time."

            "I guess," Dexter said.  "Well, you need to get back now.  They're waiting for you."

            Blossom nodded.  She bit her lip for a moment like she was trying to make a decision, then suddenly leaned forward and planted a small kiss on Dexter's cheek.  Dexter blinked a few times in shock, and Blossom blushed, floating back towards the portal and waving, saying, "Goodbye!"  She disappeared through it an instant later.

            Dexter rubbed his cheek where she had kissed him, and walked over to the controls, closing the portal down.  Once it was closed, he started heading for one of his worktables, grumbling, "Glad that's over with…now I can get back to work…"  He picked up a wrench from the table, but hesitated, looking over at the photograph DeeDee had taken, which was now resting in a frame and sitting off to one side on the table.  He smiled slightly, then got to work, the familiar ratcheting noise now the only sound echoing through the lab.

END OF PART 2 


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